[Elanajel]

Can anyone recommend good exercises using a stability ball and a medicine ball (not necessarily at the same time!). I have some ab things I do on the ball and I also do my chest/back workout when lying on the ball, but I could use some ways to add variety.

Thanks.

[teapotdynamo]

You may already do this one, but it's my favorite one I learned from the trainer. Lie back on the ball as if you're going to do a crunch, but put your palms together (like "praying hands") with your wrists resting on your belly Slowly push your hands and arms straight up toward the ceiling, lifting your upper body off the ball. Now here's the fun part -- lower your upper body but VERY SLOWLY -- at least a slow count of three. You should definitely feel it in your abs. I find the slower I do them, the more I can feel the lovely burning sensation . I do at 2-3 sets of 12, plus crunches.

[Mel]

Push-ups: Depending on your upper body strength, place the ball anywhere from your thighs to the tips of your toes (or one toe at a time if you are strong!). Pushup option 2: Put you feet on the ground and your hands on the ball and do pushups. Pushup option 3: Brace the ball against a stationary obeject, put your feet on a weight bench, put a medicine ball on top of the stability ball, and do pushups on the med ball. (This one is a little scary...and hard.)

Shoulder-stands: Put your toes on the ball and pull yourself into a pike position (this itself is a good ab workout). Dip up and down as if doing headstands. This is like doing overhead presses and really hard crunches and balance work at the same time.

Hamstring pullbacks: Lie on the floor and put your heels on the top center of the ball. Cross your arms over your chest, raise your pelvis into a pelvic tilt. Now pull the ball towards you, digging in with your heels. Roll it back out again. Try to keep it going in a straight line. If this gets easy, do it one leg at a time, with the non-working leg held above the ball.

Wall squats with or without dumbbells: We've been doing these one leg at a time, with one dumbbell to throw you off balance. Don't try this if you have knee problems!

Oblique rolls: Put your knees in the center of the ball and your palms on the floor. Roll your body from the waist, so that the side of one thigh is against the ball, hold for a beat, roll the other way. Be prepared to fall off a few times while you get the hang of this one. If you can't do it with your knees on the ball, try doing it with your thighs flat on the ball.

The possibilities are endless! I love stability balls

Mel

[teapotdynamo]

Way to make me feel like a rank amateur, Mel.

[LKTS]

Well, I'll throw in a medicine ball thing, since everyone seems to have the stability ball covered - I like to do good mornings w/ a medicine ball, with it held in the back of my neck with both hands, elbows pointing out. I know you can also do crunches and such with it.

[EofAZ]

A couple of my favorites are to position the ball so it is supporting my thighs/hips and brace my feet against the wall, now cross your arms on your chest and do back extensions by raising and lowering your torso. You can increase the intensity by extending your arms straight out over your head. You can also do them by rolling the ball up so your hips and abs are on the ball, put your hands on the floor for stability and raise and lower your legs.

Also if you sit on the ball with your neck and spine in perfect alignment, feet flat on the floor. Now lean back making sure you keep your neck and head in a straight line with your spine and hold for about 15 seconds and sit back up, repeat. You will really feel these the next day.

Also, lay on the floor, put the ball between your feet and raise your legs and pass it to your hands, lower your arms over head but don’t allow the ball to touch the floor, now bring the ball back up and pass it back to your feet, lower to almost touching floor and repeat. My PT loves to show me knew ways to use the stability ball, my problem is trying to remember them all.

Have fun,